Chapter 63
Different Dreams
Anshi scanned the scenery outside the car window. The last time she had come to Sobelvio, it was by carriage—but this time, it was by automobile.
“Would it be alright not to wear your jacket?”
A sudden voice beside her made Anshi turn her head. Sitting next to her, Damion was looking at her intently.
Outside the opposite window, the sky shimmered with an emerald hue. Under that sky, his neatly styled platinum hair glistened brilliantly. Not a speck of dust on him—he looked just like a prince out of a fairytale.
“It’s summer.”
“But it’s much cooler here than in the capital. Sudden changes in temperature can affect the body.”
The northern August was similar to June in the capital. Despite it being summer, the weather was quite mild, which was why many nobles would flock to the north once parliament adjourned.
Still, summer was summer.
“If I wear anything more than this, I might get heatstroke.”
“Then how about this much?”
Damion reached out with one hand, previously resting on his folded knee, and gently took Anshi’s hand.
“…This much is fine.”
Smiling softly, Damion drew her hand toward him. He held it delicately, like he was seeing it for the first time, tracing and admiring each slender finger.
Anshi simply looked at him quietly.
The sensation that pricked at her chest made her blurt out her thoughts without meaning to.
“I told you not to come, Damion.”
There were many reasons why he shouldn’t have.
Anshi still remembered the day he was gripped by his past when Gerris had fired a gun.
There was no guarantee the same wouldn’t happen again at Orphe’s hunting event. She didn’t want to trigger those bad memories for him.
Even that dream from last time still weighs on me.
In the dream, he had been shot in the abdomen and lay in a hospital. She didn’t know whose bullet it was, but this hunting event was the most likely candidate.
It was a time when anyone could carry a gun without arousing suspicion. Which meant anyone could shoot someone else. Knowing Damion was not exactly welcome at Orphe, she was all the more anxious.
And lastly…
Anshi didn’t want to betray him to his face.
Whatever his true feelings might be, it was difficult to turn her back on a man who looked at her with such happiness in his eyes.
At the very least, she didn’t want him to witness the moment of betrayal. No matter what happened here, she hoped he’d have enough time to run.
“I’m fine now,” Damion said, showing no hint of backing down.
“The day you came looking for me—your face replaced the memory of the gunfire.”
His voice was full of conviction. His violet eyes, locked on her, sparkled with unwavering belief.
Even though her expression remained stiff, Damion chuckled and met her gaze, shrugging as if to reassure her.
“If I look like I’m scared, you can cover my ears.”
“I’m not even attending the hunt.”
Hunting in summer was a privilege reserved for men.
Count Rubelsa had been eccentric enough to allow Anshi to join the hunts. When he was alive, Anshi had hunted birds alongside Der.
But generally, women didn’t participate in such things. And she knew it.
“If you want to join, Anshi, then do it. I’ll make the arrangements,” Damion offered, perhaps picking up on her faint disappointment.
Anshi shook her head.
“Thank you, but no.”
If she stayed close to the Emperor during the hunt, it would be easier to shoot him.
But being in such a position also meant being closely watched by the guards. And if she was the only woman among the hunting men, she’d attract unnecessary attention that might hinder her plans.
She could very well be subdued before ever getting a chance to fire a shot. If that happened, even if there were suspicions she tried to assassinate the Emperor, Orphe could still find a way to wriggle out of the situation.
Anshi needed a result—something undeniable.
She wanted to inflict on the Emperor the kind of pain that would drive him to the brink of death. That was the only way to sever Orphe completely and grind him into the dust.
So she planned to sneak into the forest and shoot him from there.
That would be easier.
She had no plans of escaping anyway. She’d be caught soon enough, and when she was, she would say she had acted under Orphe’s orders.
“Not joining the hunt is fine. Besides, covering your ears wouldn’t really block out the sound of gunfire.”
“Shall we test that?” he said.
“What…?”
Before she could react, Damion pulled her hand and placed it over his ear. Their eyes met. Flustered, Anshi blinked rapidly while Damion chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction.
Just then, the car arrived in Sobelvio. Knock knock—a servant tapped the door, asking silently for permission to open it. Damion didn’t move, his gaze still on Anshi.
She finally pulled her hand away and looked past him toward the door.
“…They’re knocking. We should get out.”
“Were they? I didn’t hear anything.”
His utterly shameless response made Anshi gape. Smiling with his eyes, Damion stepped out and offered his hand to help her down.
The majestic view of Sobelvio unfolded before them. The sunlight was warm, but not too hot, casting a soft glow over the couple. A breeze, filled with the scent of greenery, rustled gently around them.
As they stepped into Sobelvio together again, Damion looked at Anshi.
He felt the same thing as last time.
The comfort of not being alone in this place.
The satisfaction of walking alongside his wife.
The reason he had agreed to attend this hunting event was because he believed—no, he knew—he could now withstand the sound of gunfire without panic.
When Anshi saved his life for the second time… the moment he saw her face, all his fear vanished like a lie. And as long as she existed, it would be the same in the future.
“You can look forward to the outcome of the hunt,” he said.
“Be careful. Everyone will be armed. Don’t take any risks.”
“You’re worried about me?”
“…Something like that. So please, be really careful.”
A smile spread across Damion’s face.
Just thinking that his wife was worried about him made him all the more eager for the hunt.
He wasn’t worried. Even if Kardian tried to harm him again, it wouldn’t be during this event.
The August hunt was tied to Orphe’s honor. And Kardian, who considered Orphe his possession, wouldn’t dare cause trouble at such an event.
Damion smiled and held Anshi’s hand tightly.
The road ahead looked bright and smooth.
He was looking forward to the hunt—and everything that would follow.
* * *
The garden at Sobelvio was renowned for its beauty. At the entrance, filled with sky-colored flowers, Marianne stood tall and regal, greeting guests.
“Hello, Lady Marianne. You look stunning as always. And so do Lady Bekishi and Lady Anshi.”
Their words were all flattery, but the women—more excited than usual—showered Marianne with greetings. The mere fact of being invited to this event had them floating with pride.
The annual Sobelvio hunting event in August gathered countless nobles. Even the afternoon tea in the garden had more than twenty ladies in attendance. They were all from distinguished families, but none could rival the name Orphe.
Once everyone had arrived, the gathering began.
“I heard His and Her Majesty will arrive tomorrow morning. Is that true?”
Lady Lotus asked eagerly, and Marianne nodded gracefully.
“How exciting. I’ve never seen them in person.”
Lady Lotus covered her mouth with her hands, visibly giddy. Newly married and still youthful, she looked like a fan about to meet a celebrity.
“Their Majesties, coming here in person—truly, Orphe is remarkable.”
“It really is.”
The women sighed with admiration. Marianne basked in their envious stares. After a long string of praises for Orphe, the topic naturally shifted to their husbands.
“I heard the men will be drinking inside soon. I just hope mine doesn’t overdo it.”
“Oh, same here. With the hunt tomorrow, I’m worried he’ll be too queasy to ride. I made him promise a dozen times to take it easy on the way here.”
“I thought I was the only one thinking that—seems we all worry the same.”
They shared sympathetic laughs and stories. Anshi, though not particularly worried, nodded along as if she was listening intently.
“Are you worried too, Lady Anshi? I’ve heard Sir Damion holds his liquor quite well.”
She hadn’t known that about him. Come to think of it, she could barely remember drinking with him at all. And with the thought that she likely never would in the future, a strange sense of melancholy quietly washed over Anshi.
